Starching machine



July 23, 1940. R. J. JACKER STARCHING MACHINE Filed March 11, 1937 lllllll Illllll IIIINI l I N V EN TOR.

Patented July 23, 1940 PATENT OFFICE,

STARCHING MACHINE 'ltic'hard J. Jacker, Chicago, 111., assignor to August G. Wohlschlegel, Chicago, Ill. Application March 11, 1937, Serial No. 130,290

4 w 40laims. (01. 91-31) 7 My. invention relates to improvements in starching machines, and is' illustrated as embodied in a machine in which liquid starch containers are arranged. below two wringer rolls, 5 the rolls being normally held apart so that the article to be starched can be lowered down be-' tween the rolls and into the starch in the con tainer below. An operating lever is then moved which bringsthe rolls together, one of the rolls being constantly rotated so that when they are forced together the surplus starch in the article being treated is pressed out of the same and the article is delivered, upward above the rolls. The objects of my improvements are, first, to provide a plurality of starch containers and mechanism for moving-the same into operative position; second, to afford facilities for forcing the wringer rolls together upon moving a lever; third, to constantly rotate onewringer roll by an electric motor and to ,provide one-half revolution mechanism whereby the second roll is forced against the rotating roll by the same electric motor upon the operation of a lever; fourth, to makea machine which will afford high production and is easily operated by a novice. Other objects to become apparent from the description to follow. v

This starching machine eliminates much physicallabor, does excellent and rapidwork because it is only necessary for; the operator; to dip the cuffs and collars of garments into the starch and then move a small lever which will. press the surplus starch outof the goods and deliver the goods into the hands of 'theoperator. After the goods are delivered to .the operator bygthe machine the operating lever is again manipulated to bring the rolls mm a separated position. T One of the w ringer' rolls is constantly rotating while the machine is being used.

To describe my invention 50 that'others versed ,infthe art to which it pertains canmake and use the same, I have illustrated it on the accompanying sheet of drawings forming a part of this specification, in'which:

Figure 1 isa side elevation partly in section of a starching machine constructed in accordance with my invention and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary .sectional view taken on line, 22 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar 5 parts throughout both views.

, Anelectric motor 3 is rigidly mounted on a suitable base frame 4 rigidly secured to the frame 5 of the. machine which rests on the floor. The motorshaft 6 extends out on both sides of the 5 5 motorand one end ofthe same is connected by coupling TI to shaft. 8 of thereduction gear 8. The slow running shaft ID of the reduction gear has secured thereto the bevel gear meshing with thebevel gear. l2 'rigid on the lower end of V 60 shaft l3 and secured to the upper end of said shaft I3 is the bevelgear I4 meshing with the bevel gear |5 rigid on the shaft l6 carrying the roll IT. The shaft It has its bearings in suitable fixed bearing blocks not shown but mounted in the upper part of the frame 5. An electric switch I8 is conveniently placed on the frame 5 and suitable wires l9 extend from the motor 3 to the switch l8 and from thence other wires 20 lead to any source of supply.

The other end of shaft 6 extending from motor 3 has secured on it the bevel gear 2| meshing with bevel gear 22 on shaft 23 and the opposite end of shaft 23 carries the bevel gear 24 which is in constant mesh with the bevel gear'25 loose W on shaft 26. Keyed on shaft 26 is the clutch 5 member 21 arranged to engage a clutch mem ber rigid with gear 25. The parts are so ar ranged that when clutch member 21 is moved to the right as seen in Fig. 2 the shaft 26 will .be rotated with gear 25, and when the clutch 20 member 21 is moved to the left the shaft 26 will remain stationary while the bevel gear 25 is rotating. The bell crank lever 28 is pivoted at 29 to the frame 5 and has one end connected to move the clutch member 21 and the other 25 end connected to the lower end of the vertical sliding rod 30. The! rod 30 is made to slide freely in a bracket of frame 5 and carries an elongated plate 3| on its upper end. A coiled expanding spring 32 normally holds the rod 30 and 30 its plate 3| in an up position.

A horizontally extending rock shaft'33 is mounted in the frame 5 and has rigidly secured thereto a beam 34 whose free ends are arranged to depress the plate 3| when the shaft 33 is "35 rocked in one direction or the other but when the shaft 33 is in its middle position the plate 3| is free to move to its up position. Also rigidly connected on one end of shaft 33 is a spring arm 35 the free end of which lies in the path "4.0 of the two lugs 36 and 31 carried by the sliding block 38. The block 38 is loose on shaft 39 which is rigidly connected at one end to the frame 40 and a coiled expanding spring 4| on shaft 39 is interposed between the frame 4|] and the block 38 to normally hold said block 38 yieldingly against the stop 42 rigid on shaft 39.

Each end of the frame 40 is connected to the bearing blocks 43 by suitable interlocking hooks 44 to have the bearing blocks 43 always move 5 with the frame 4|] which slide in suitable upper and lower guides 45 rigid with frame 5. The free end of shaft 39 is made to slide freely in the bearing 46 rigid with frame 5. The block 38 may be either in its right hand position 8 81 shown in Figure 1,or in its left hand position which is not shown, and is arranged to be moved by a roller 41 attached to the block, said roller :being engaged by the cam wheel 48 rigidon the shaft 49. Shaft 49 is mounted 'in suitablego bearings 50, only one of which is Shown, rigid with frame 5 and has rigidly secured to it the gear 5! in constant mesh with the smaller gear 52 rigidly mounted on shaft 26 so that when the shaft 26 is rotated the cam wheel 48 will be rotated.

The mechanism last described provides that each time that the cam wheel 48 is rotated it makes a one-half revolution and is then brought to a stop. One half revolution of the cam wheel 48 will move the block 38 to the left as seen in Fig. 1 against the resistance of a return spring 38' and another half revolution of the cam wheel 48 will permit the return spring to move the block 38 to the right. When the block 38 reaches the end of its movement to the right the lug 36 will contact the free end of spring arm 35 and rock the shaft 33 to have the one free end of beam 34 depress the rod 33 against the tension of spring 32 and move the clutch member 21 out of contact with the clutch member on bevel gear 25, and when the block 38 reaches the end of its movement to the left, lug 31 will contact the free end of spring arm 35 and rock the shaft 33 to have the one free end of beam 34 depress the rod 3!! against the tension of spring 32 and move the clutch member 21 out of contact with the clutch member on bevel gear 25. Thus the shaft 26 and the cam wheel 48 are brought to a stop when the sliding block 38 reaches the limit of its left hand or right hand position. The purpose of making the arm 35 of spring material is so that the shaft 33 can be forced to its center position, against the spring tension of arm 35, when the sliding block 38 is at the limit of either of its two positions, and to thus force the shaft 33 to its center position a hand lever 53 pivotally mounted at 54 to the table top 55 rigid on the top of frame 5, is provided whose short free end is connected to a rod 5'! at 56 and the other end of the rod 51 is connected at 58 to the free end of the arm 59 rigid on shaft 33.

The bearing blocks 43 carry the shaft of a roll 69 and when the cam wheel 48 makes a one-half revolution the roll 68 is moved against the roll l? and when the cam wheel 48 makes another. one-half revolution the roll 68 is moved awayfrom the roll ll. In actual practice the cam wheel 48 will move the block 38 a slightly greater distance than the distance between the rolls 63 and H to bring the spring 4| under additional compression. lBoth rolls I1 and 68 are preferably made of rubber.

A plurality of starch containers 6| below the rolls I! and 63 are placed in a frame 62 arranged to slide on suitable ways 63 rigidly secured to frame 5. A rack bar 64 is rigidly connccted to the frame 62 and meshes with a segmental gear 65 rigid on shaft 66 which has rigidly secured on its exposed end a crank arm 51. The parts are so arranged and constructed that any of the three starch containers 6| can be moved to a position directly under the space between rolls I? and by moving the crank arm- 67 to'either its forward position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 or its up position or its rear position.

w In operation the switch I8 is turned to have the motor 3 constantly running which will constantly rotate the roll I7, and the bevel gear 25. 'The operator immerses the cuffs or part of an article'to be starched into the liquid starch in the container 61, moves the lever 53 to the right as seen in Fig. 1, which will permit the spring again starting said wheel.

32 to raise rod 30 and connect clutch member 21 with the clutch member on the constantly running bevel gear 25 to rotate cam wheel 48. As soon as the cam wheel 48 has started to rotate the operator can remove the hand from lever 53 because lug 36 will have moved away from the free end of spring arm 35. When the cam wheel 48 has completed its one-half revolution the article to be starched will be tightly gripped between the rolls 60 and I1 and will be fed upward out of the starch with all of the surplus starch removed therefrom. The operator then moves the lever 53 to the left which rocks the shaft 33 against the tension of the spring arm 35 whose free end is against the lug 3'! and the cam wheel 48 is caused to make another half revolution, bringing the rolls 60 and H apart and in position to again have the operator immerse the next piece of goods.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a device of the class described, a starch container, two wringer rolls above said container suitably mounted to rotate, a motor connected to constantly rotate one of said rolls continuously in a direction to feed work upwardly out of said container, mechanism comprising a cam wheel for moving the other roll against the first named roll and away from the same by the action of saidmotor, a clutch for connecting the mechanism with the motor to set the cam wheel into motion, a spring arranged to be contacted by a part moved by said cam wheel whereby the clutch is disconnected and the bending of said spring will permit the clutch to be connected, and means for bending said spring to connect the clutch to initiate movement of said mechanism to move said other roll toward the first roll to be pressed against and driven by the first roll to feed work upwardly from the container and to squeeze surplus starch therefrom or away from the first roll to facilitate dipping a piece of work into the starch.

2. In a device of the class described, two wringer rolls, means for yieldingly forcing the rolls together and for moving them apart, a constantly running motor, a clutch for connecting the motor and said means, and a lever to engage the clutch to move the rollers together and to move the rollers apart.

3. In a device of the class described, two wringer rolls, a constantly running motor, a cam wheel having means whereby a one-half revolution will move said wringer rolls together and another one-half revolution will move said wringer rolls apart, driving connections including a clutch between said motor and said wheel, means whereby said clutch is moved to an open position each time said wheel is at the end of a one-half revolution, and a lever for moving said clutch to a closed position.

4. In a device of the class described, a wringer roll mounted in stationary bearings, a wringer roll mounted in movable bearings, means to move the second roll against and away from the first named roll, a motor for constantly rotating the first roll, a sliding block forming part of said means for moving the other roll, said means including a cam wheel connected to move the block at each one-half revolution and means whereby the cam Wheel is automatically stopped at the end of each one-half revolution, and means for RICHARD J. JACKER. 

